Last month, I celebrated my five-year soberversary. I’ve been alcohol-free since February 20, 2020. Wild. Five years is a long time. It’s so long, in fact, that being alcohol-free has lost its novelty, almost doesn’t feel worth celebrating. It’s just another something about me, like the mole on my left arm or my drive to write stories. But for two reasons, I decided to whip something up. And in celebration of my five-year soberversary, I’m sharing the 5 things I never thought I’d do without alcohol.

I celebrated my 39th birthday with a Four-day getaway to the desert, including a spa day in Desert Hot Springs and a trip to Joshua Tree National Park. We had a fantastic trip, and I’m now equipped with the perfect itinerary to share. Here is what you should see and do on your quick trip to Joshua Tree.

Happy birthday to all my fellow Aquarians and Happy birthday to me! Last week I turned 39. (I know right, I’m too young to be this old.) I had thought entering the final year of my thirties might spur some kind of blues, or existential dread, or at minimum a rush of anxiety over the time passing. This was what I felt entering the final year of my twenties, a decade ago. At 29, unmet goals taunted me, my life remained un-figured out. There’s no denying that unmet goals still taunt me at 39—many of them the same precious dreams I’ve always had. But instead of anxiety, or dread, or even the birthday blues, which I’m prone to, I was able to welcome my 39th birthday feeling content, happy, and really freaking grateful.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret that might surprise you. I HATE packing. Truly. That’s right, despite being a flight attendant for ELEVEN years now, despite having to constantly pack, unpack, and repack my suitcase, and getting pretty darn good at it, I still find the task very annoying. The thing that makes packing slightly less terrible is having a routine. Ask any flight attendant what’s in their bag and they will tell you: The same stuff that was in their bag last week, and the week before that,

Whether it is packing my suitcase, flying back and forth across the country, or walking in sub-freezing temperatures to my crashpad in Boston, I almost always have something playing in my ears. Last post was a book roundup, which included some of my favorite audiobook listens of the year, and I’m following it up with my other audio recommendations. Here are some of my favorite podcasts.